AeroVironment CFO Sells Approximately $1.78 Million in Shares Through Trust as Part of 10b5-1 Plan

According to a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing dated January 12, 2026, AeroVironment Inc (NASDAQ: AVAV) Chief Financial Officer Kevin Patrick McDonnell sold 4,845 shares of the company’s common stock at approximately $367.60 per share under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan, in the name of the McDonnell Moore Living Trust. The total proceeds were about $1.78 million (approximately KRW 2.58 billion, at 1 USD = 1,450 KRW). After this transaction, the trust’s indirect holdings stand at 17,301 shares—valued at roughly $6.36 million (KRW 9.22 billion) at the same price. The filing notes that these shares are held in trust and that Mr. McDonnell disclaims beneficial ownership of any shares over which he holds no pecuniary interest.

AeroVironment is a leading supplier of unmanned and advanced defense technologies—drones, autonomous weapons, and laser interception systems—to the U.S. defense and security sectors. In recent years, the company has rapidly expanded revenue by deploying tactical drones such as Switchblade and Puma, and by offering counter-drone solutions proven on the battlefields of Ukraine. The 2025 acquisition of BlueHalo broadened its portfolio into directed-energy weapons and space communications. In the second quarter of fiscal 2025 (ended November 1, 2025), AeroVironment reported revenues of $472.5 million—a 151% year-over-year increase (about KRW 685.1 billion). Its backlog of awarded contracts reached an all-time high of $1.1 billion (KRW 1.595 trillion). The company has guided fiscal 2026 revenues of $1.95 billion to $2.0 billion (KRW 2.83 trillion to KRW 2.90 trillion), maintaining an aggressive growth outlook.

Recently, AeroVironment has emerged as one of the top beneficiaries in the defense sector, with its share price and trading volume surging together. In early January 2026, the company secured a five-year IDIQ contract worth approximately $874 million for unmanned and counter-drone systems from the U.S. Army, along with a separate contract to supply P550 drones. These awards drove the stock up 16% in one day—breaking above $300 intraday—and propelled a more than 33% rally over the next four trading sessions through January 8. President Trump’s proposal to boost the fiscal 2027 defense budget to $1.5 trillion (roughly KRW 2,175 trillion) has raised expectations for companies in autonomous and unmanned warfare. Additional catalysts include the U.S. Army’s next-generation counter-drone missile program, field tests of the vehicle-mounted 20 kW laser weapon (LOCUST), and a $959 million counter-drone missile contract.

Amid this wave of defense awards and increased military spending, AeroVironment’s IBD Composite Rating—a metric combining technical and fundamental indicators—has risen to 96, highlighting the company’s growing market presence. Analysts view the planned share sale by management as a portfolio rebalancing following the recent sharp rally.